LYNN — When Mayor Jared Nicholson introduced Essex Media Group (EMG)’s 2022 Lynn Person of the Year award recipient Thursday night, he referred to all the recipients as “role models and heroes” who made a lasting positive impact on their community.
As seven out of the nine Essex Media Group Persons of the year humbly accepted their awards and state citations at the Lynn Museum, they embodied Nicholson’s description completely.
EMG recognized Lynn Firefighter John Moloney for risking his life to fight and bring to safety a man attempting to jump from the ledge of the MBTA parking garage early last year.
When Moloney spoke in front of his family, and state representatives Peter Capano, Daniel Cahill, and Jenny Armini, he focused his remarks away from himself, toward a larger cause.
“I’d like to bring up suicide real quickly. Suicide is a public health emergency. The CDC reported in 2020 that 2.2 million adults have serious thoughts about suicide, nearly two million have made plans for suicide, and 1.2 million have attempted suicide,” Moloney said. “If you know someone who’s depressed or seems disengaged, please have a conversation with them. It might save their life.”
Sanjay Aurora and Natasha Shah, of Lynnfield, were out of the country and unable to accept their award in person. However, the couple was recognized as the 2022 Lynnfield Persons of the Year for fostering 39 children ranging from infants to four-year olds.
Marblehead resident Eurim Chun, who put together a team of 17 community leaders that advocated to override closure of the Abbot Public Library, prompting a $9.5 million renovation project. Chum, like Moloney, focused her speech on her cause, not herself.
“The Abbot Public Library — that’s our palace because that’s where we take our children to learn and grow and that’s where elders get together to share their stories, and that’s where students go to learn,” Chun said. “It’s a very, very special place.”
Jennifer McCarthy was recognized as Nahant’s 2022 Person of the Year for her volunteer work on seven different town committees: the Fireworks Committee, Golf Committee, Conservation Committee, two Town Administrator Search Committees, and has been the town’s dog hearing officer.
“The reason why I do what I do is to show her the importance of being a volunteer in your community. Without volunteers in our community — whether it’s the library or schools and things like that, or in our church, things will not run and people who don’t have a strong leadership voice will not be heard,” McCarthy said.
Peabody’s Lola Busta, 91, accepted her Person of the Year Award for a lifetime of volunteer work at the United Polish Organizations of Peabody. Busta thanked her colleagues and her community of volunteers for giving her the opportunity to serve.
“I’d like to humbly offer my thanks and gratitude for receiving this award tonight. It’s because of all the various volunteers and co-workers that have so graciously given their time and effort.” Busta said.
Salem’s first Afro-Latino to serve on the House of Representatives, newly-elected Rep. Manny Cruz pledged to advocate for sweeping education reform on Beacon Hill. When honored as Salem’s Person of the Year, he spoke about his childhood, and how it shaped his primary cause: education.
“I was raised by a single mother right here in the City of Lynn. We grew up in poverty, and we survived domestic violence, but my mom raised all three of her boys to be loving, to be thoughtful, and to care for others,” Cruz said. “On Beacon Hill, every time that we talk about things like universal school meals or universal pre-K, I recognize that that is because of the coalition of people like yourselves, who can advocate every single day for all of our residents to fare better here in our Commonwealth.”
Saugus Person of the Year Katrina McNichol does not live in Saugus, but was honored for her work as a speech pathologist at the Belmonte STEAM Academy, and her expansion of the Kids Come First program, which now allows 180 students access to reliable after school programs and care.
“Engaging childcare and after school care is really important to me and my staff members,” McNichol said. “I know I’m not a Saugus native, but I’ve really grown to love Saugus, and I feel like they’re [her colleagues] my family.”
The award ceremony concluded with Swampscott Person of the Year Nick Meninno, whose construction company Meninno Construction has survived and grown for almost a century. Meninno’s grandfather, an Italian immigrant, started Meninno Construction in 1925.
Now, the company played a role in planning the new Swampscott High School’s construction, built a new elementary school in town, and developed Marian Court College into a luxury condominium building.
“When I see trucks that say ‘Meninno Construction’ I know you’re building something good for the community,” Armani said.
Meninno thanked and recognized his long-serving crew members, before thanking his father, the late Anthony Nicholas Meninno.
“I’d like to acknowledge, for me, the real reason I’m here — my dad. He is certainly a big part of why I’m up here tonight. Thank you, Dad, and thanks to all of you,” Meninno said.
